Is Alzheimer’s disease and dementia same?

An old woman was unable to recognise her grandchildren. She does not remember who she is and what is her identity. She is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

In another case, a woman is unable to stand properly. Her body is not in her control, gradually she is losing her memory. She was diagnosed dementia.

Are both the women suffering from the same disease??

No!

They are not.

People often get confused and falsely considered the symptoms of the memory loss. But no, both are different. Although the memory loss is occurring in both the cases but in the latter case woman’s whole body is not in her control apart from the memory loss.

And this misunderstanding raises the big question “IsAlzheimer’s disease and dementia same???”

Well, it’s the high time to acquaint oneself with the difference between the two diseases.

What is dementia???

Dementia is an umbrella term which consisting of a set of symptoms with impaired thinking and body loss. A person having dementia loses its control over the body followed by memory loss. This is the result of declining age. Several diseases come under it i.e.Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Symptoms:

Generally, early symptoms are overlooked by the people. Forgetfulness is the primary symptom occurs in the person with dementia.

It is further followed by the confusions in familiar settings and lack of communications. The behaviour continues to change and can turn into depression and aggression.

What is Alzheimer’s disease???

According to the Center for Disease Control, Alzheimer’s disease is a common cause of dementia-causing as many as 50 to 70% of all dementia cases. In fact, Alzheimer’s is a very specific form of dementia. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s include impaired thought, impaired speech, and confusion. Doctors use a variety of screenings to determine the cause of dementia including blood tests, mental status evaluations and brain scans.

What is the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia???

From the above note is very clear that both the diseases are not same. However, it is necessary to take the deep look in it.

The major difference between the two is that Alzheimer’s is not a reversible disease. It is degenerative and incurable at this time. Some forms of dementia, such as a drug interaction or a vitamin deficiency, are actually reversible or temporary.

Alzheimer often occurs at the age of 65-85. About 5% cases occur as the result of genetic mutation.

However, dementia is caused by a variety of illnesses, some potentially very treatable (e.g., nutritional deficiency). Percentage of elderly suffering from some form of dementia increases with age, with 2% of those aged 65-69, 5% of those aged 75-79, and over 20% of those aged 85-90 experiencing symptoms.

How it can be treated????

According to several pieces of research, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. It worsens as the ageing progress and continues till the patient dies.

All people with memory difficulty should be checked for hypothyroidism and B12 deficiency.

For dementia, it is curable and there are several treatments for it. However, it has been found that medication can cause the disturbance in sleep.

People with dementia often experience has not been well researched, even for medications that are commonly prescribed. In 2012 the American Geriatrics Society recommended that benzodiazepines such as diazepam, and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, be avoided for people with dementia due to the risks of increased cognitive impairment and falls.

Since becoming old is unstoppable and everyone faces this phase, it is high time that we should direct our thinking in the right way. Proper diagnosis and timely treatment can prevent you and may help you to live long.